It's a new, entry level model. List = $740 Mehran sells for $490 http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtnrm&1141408139I haven't heard one but I did tell him that "bloom" was an odd name, especially for a cartridge from a line that is justly famous for refusing to. I think he likes flowers. ;-) |
I played everything I could think would throw it off, including an early-60's Archiv pressing of a nuns choir (very angelic) that had challenged every cartridge I've owned with very high frequencies...but it was swayed by nothing. That album, in particular, always had parts that were shrill and distorted. Now it plays as it should - no shrillness, no distortion - just pure music - truly amazing! Mark, Welcome to the ZYX music club. I particularly appreciated the statement quoted above, since it so closely echoed our own experiences. Compare this excerpt from our review of the Airy 2 and 3: Both Airys flew through my toughest ... LPs with complete aplomb. Les Plaisirs de la Renaissance (Harmonia Mundi, HMU 963) includes Alfred Deller's crystal pure countertenor and a closely miked alto recorder doubling and harmonizing off his vocal line, all in a stony and reverberant acoustic. ... This torture test ... has embarrassed some very costly cartridges [and] can too easily distort into earsplitting horror. Both Airys played them cleanly without effort,
...and this from our UNIverse review: Even with frequent doubling of instruments all melodic lines... are easy to follow, as are ... subtle interplays between the various sections of the orchestra. Absolutely no blurring of one note to another, nor melding of two separate instruments into a single note. It is not just the notes, but the resolution of the quiet spaces between the notes. There is true anticipation as a musician creates tension with the slightest pause; completely drawing you into the music. To be perfectly honest, every single LP played with this cartridge has resulted in a significant revelation. . The ZYX's we've heard all let go of the notes exactly when they should, which many cartridges cannot do. It's obvious from your reaction that nakatsuka-san has retained this trait at an even better price point. It makes the name "Bloom" deliciously ironic, since that's the one mistake a ZYX will never make. Enjoy the music! |
